In pump means of prior art, the guide usually has the shape of a rod or rail and the slide moving thereon constitutes a sleeve or a sleeve-like member encircling the guide. A slide of this type is satisfactory as long as the guide is new and clean, but its operation is decisively impaired when there are impurities on the surface of the guide. Since submergible pumps are expressly most often used in sewage wells, it is clearly obvious that the guides in the dirty accumulate rust on their surface, whereby slides of prior art tend to bind on the guides when the pump is being lifted or lowered.